Under the falling rain
by Living Juliet
Summary: This started off as one shot but progressed a little. Basically a beautiful DE endgame scenario :) : takes place right after the porch kiss!
1. Chapter 1

Elena stood there for what seemed like forever after Damon had left, Shaking inside from both shock and excitement before finally turning to go inside, Climbing the stairs in a daze.

Once inside the privacy of her room the reality of what had just happened washed over her and if the bed had just been a little farther away she'd have ended up collapsing in the middle of the floor. She'd wanted that kiss, oh how she'd longed for it and the truth of that on its own was enough for the guilt to consume her.

She was in love; she was hopelessly and heartbreakingly in love with him! She had been for a while, but was just now realizing for the first time just how powerfully she felt for him. She could lie to her friends, and deny it forever to Damon if she chose to….but Elena knew she couldn't lie to herself. She'd kissed him back tonight, and this time she didn't have the excuse of a death bed to put it behind her. She wanted to cry! To let all the confusion and frustration out with the tears, but the tears didn't come and she knew without knowing that it was because she had none to cry.

From out of the corner of her eye Elena caught sight of an old friend. There, tucked just under the pillow of the window seat was her diary, where she'd left it to collect dust for months. For a moment she laughed, kind of crazy, she thought to herself, to stop recording her life just as it had begun to become worth recording; now she could fill an entire journal describing the events of just one day!

Standing suddenly she crossed the room to grab the book and began to thumb through the pages; eager almost to remember who she had been before the supernatural had invaded her life. The first entries were light and simple, some full of youthful excitement; slumber parties spent with Caroline and Bonnie, homecoming, making the cheer team…summers at the lake with her parents and Jeremy. The last of the entries were so empty they might as well have been blank pages, the months after the accident had been a time of grieving, a time when the diary had been the only thing she could go to….and then Stefan…

Elena threw the diary onto the bed, reaching up to run her fingers through her hair. The thought of Stefan brought the feeling of utter guilt back in full force. Stefan Salvatore had entered into her life almost like the sun reemerging after an eclipse, and she had wanted no one else the moment he'd said I love you. He had been her lover, her protector, and best friend; how could her heart which had once swore to love only him, betray her so by reaching out for another?

But that was a question that Elena already knew the answer to.

Damon was cruel, self-destructive, hot headed, and brutal but he was also loyal, fearless, and fiercely loved the few he let close to him. Over the past year she had become one of those few. She could even pin point the moment she'd met the real Damon, and not the harsh vampire he wanted everyone else to see. It was at Miss Mystic, when he had stepped in as her escort at the very last second. In that moment dancing with him, she saw the man that cared for her everything! Whether it be her happiness, wellbeing, or just a last minute dance partner she knew from that moment on she could count on him. And where was Stefan at this moment in time? Feeding his bloodlust just as he was now.

Elena went back to the bed, sitting down and reaching out for her leather bound history, stroking the cover thoughtfully. The girl that was alive in these pages had become someone stronger, and someone wiser…not because of Stefan's gentle caring, but because of Damon's fierce love. Damon loved her enough to be honest with her, he believed in her own strength and bravery enough to be brutal with her, because he knew it was what she needed to survive.

Elena's memory flew back to a conversation she'd had with her mother once. It was when she had started dating Matt, and she had asked her how do you know when you're with the right person? And she had replied simply, "Being with that person should make you a better one". Elena now understood what she meant. Love wasn't supposed to be a fairy-tale, it was about sacrifice and standing together even when the storm howled around you. People weren't perfect and neither was love, perfect had been what she was striving for with Stefan and in the end it only left her heartbroken and disappointed, because in the end he'd chosen Klaus's compulsion and the blood lust over fighting to stay with her. Even now that he was free he was still drifting farther away from her…and she was tired of trying to reel him back in. Stefan always came back to blood, but Damon always came back to her.

A clap of thunder sounded in the distance and with it, Elenas courage; she knew what she had to do, and no amount of rain was going to keep her from it. She had made her choice, now it was time to act on it.


	2. Chapter 2

Elena bolted downstairs almost running into Alaric who was loading Jeremy's bags into the car. Whoa! Where do you think you're going? To the boarding house! She called back, already through the front door.

There's a down poor building! Are you insane? Quite possibly! she yelled over a crack of booming thunder. Elena cast a quick smile of apology towards her now scowling guardian before grabbing her bike from the shed and taking off.

One mile later and a couple thousand chest bruising heart beats down the road, the rain began to fall. Almost there! Elena panted. She had no idea what she would even say when confronting Damon soaking wet in the pouring rain, she only knew how full her heart was and where it was leading her; where it had been leading her for months, she was just now finding the courage to follow.

Elena rounded a corner and skidded to a halt at the beginning of the boarding house drive. "You can do this" she whispered, gripping the handlebars and riding forwards into the lawn before jumping off the bike. She stood there, shivering in the rain that was showing no sign of letting up. Water was cascading down her face, lightning striking dangerously close and still she stayed rooted in place. There's no turning back from this, she thought to herself. A smile came to her face then, there's no turning back….and there's no reason to, she said out loud before mustering up enough strength to lift her feet of clay and step forward.

Suddenly the front door opened and there stood Damon. He must have sensed me, she thought frozen. His face was one of warring emotions, he knew why she'd come. He was fighting elation, while at the same time begging her not to move another inch if she was only going to deny this later.

In one quick move he was in front of her. His eyes pleading, but neither of them saying a word. Finally she broke the silence, raising her voice to be heard over the rushing storm. "Forgive me!" "for what?" he asked. She smiled, "for wasting every second of every hour, and every hour of every day that I could have spent loving you". An open mouthed smile bloomed across Damon's face, "your move!"

And with that, right under the falling rain Elena reached up and like a wave crashed into him.


	3. Chapter 3

If there was a Heaven then Damon was certain he'd never been closer to it than in this moment. Elena was fast asleep wrapped in his embrace as he lay awake in complete awe of her. In truth it was probably a little creepy to stare openly at your sleeping lover, but Damon couldn't find the strength to look away… for fear that this just might be all a cruel dream. Not like he hadn't been subjected to them before.

"It isn't a dream", he told himself, holding her closer to reassure himself with her warmth.

Elena snored slightly, and Damon suppressed a chuckle, how could anyone be so sexy and so adorable at the same time? Somehow Elena pulled it off. She was smart and fearless, loyal and caring, and all that combined to create this one of a kind beautiful human being who continued to surprise him. And it was because of those constant surprises that he had been right to endure the pain of loneliness and rejection all this time! All this time waiting… now he could say it was worth it.

"You are all I never even thought to hope for", he whispered before lightly kissing her forehead and finally giving in to restful sleep.

**Okay I know this was way short, and I had originally planned to write the next day into this chapter but I haven't decided how I want that to go yet and I haven't updated in a while so this is it for now! The next chapter will probably be up this weekend, so guess you could consider this a preview since it's so short. I love all of you that are taking the time to read my stories even if you don't review **


	4. Chapter 4

**First of all let me apologize to the few readers I had for being such a crap updater! My names Amanda and you would think procrastination was my best friend. So to try and make up for it I'll be posting chapter 5 either tonight or tomorrow. I know my chapters are short but I have a really hard time deciding how to end them yet knowing where I want to take the story and breaking off and moving on to the next chapter always feels like the answer for me, so that's the plan and without further ado…**

Elena awoke to the sound of soft thunder in the distance, and the relentless pouring rain. It all brought back the memory of the night before and Elena couldn't help but bite back a blush as she rolled over into the pillows.

It was then that she noticed Damon's absence.

Though it would have been a dream to stay in bed all day, it really wasn't all that romantic without her handsome vampire to cuddle up next to; her vampire, she thought. Damon was hers now, and she was his. Once the realization of their new situation dawned on her, Elena could practically feel the weight of all the months she'd spent fighting her feelings just lift right off of her chest in one deep breath. In this moment she would not allow herself think about Stefan (or Alaric for that matter), all of that would come in due time, right now she only wanted to be back in Damon's arms.

Elena hopped out of bed and found to her surprise; her clothes dried and folded neatly on a chair across the room. Elena smiled at Damon's thoughtfulness and dressed quickly, more eager than ever to find him.

She soon discovered however that he was nowhere to be found. Not in the shower, not in the library, not even sipping from his usual tumbler of bourbon down stairs.

With a disappointed pout Elena was just reaching for her phone when she heard the distinct sound of the Camaro coming up the drive. And suddenly the nerves were back, a flood of butterflies hitting her as she made her way to the door; everything had changed in the blink of an eye and though she didn't regret it for a second, at the moment Elena was floundering for words. How did one bring up casual conversation after a night like… well THAT!? It wasn't even the sex she was thinking of it was all that had been left unsaid in her oh so brilliant and passionate declaration of love There was a reality to accept, where friends and family had to be considered, was Damon her boyfriend now? Once she saw Stefan again would there be guilt? How did you go about telling the man you had once loved so passionately that he wasn't your soul mate after all?

At this point Elena was nearly crying in frustration, "what happened to NOT thinking about Stefan" she asked herself as she opened the door. Damon was standing there two armfuls of groceries and his mouth set in a surprised "O" that faded to his signature smirk. "I was counting on you sleeping in", he said, and then after a pause added, "waffles? Or Pancakes?"

**Thoughts? Ok to make things clear this started off as a one shot in which Elena revealed her feelings for Damon in one epic moment (chapter 1) but I felt the pull to continue it so I'm kinda flying by the seat of my pants with this story, just making it up as I go along. Don't worry I write ONLY happy Delena endings, and even some lemons if they get requested enough ;) the story will then be rated M of course.**


	5. Chapter 5

**This will be the last chapter! Hope you like!**

Two hours and several pancakes later Elena was lying in Damon's arms on the couch listening to the sound of his faint heartbeat as the flames from the fireplace warmed the room. They were holding each other in content silence; it had been this way since Damon had cleaned up the kitchen from his little impromptu breakfast. Elena had tried to bring out her reasonable side then but Damon had quickly shushed her, pleading with his eyes to let the heavy stuff wait just a little while longer. And with one look at his puppy dog expression all of her resolve shattered. She couldn't argue with him, they deserved these blissful moments and for now until the outside world came calling they would just… be.

"I had forgotten that moments like this could exist", Damon said, breaking the Silence. "Elena I… I wonder if you know how vulnerable I am with you".

Elena rose up on her arms to look Damon in the eye. "What do you mean?"

"You give me everything… with just a look. I haven't loved or truly felt love for over a century and for just as long I didn't need it and didn't want it, but suddenly you've brought it all back to me… I _need_ and I _want _your love, I don't know if the rhyme or reason could ever return to my existence if you ever decided I'm not what you wanted after all."

Elena couldn't help herself as she started to tear up. Damon's heart was melting right before her eyes, he was still, and would always be the cocky and arrogantly playful Vampire that had snuck up on her heart, but right now he was offering her the one thing he had never offered anyone… a glimpse at his humanity.

"Damon… I can't change the past, God I wish I could! I wish I could go back and save all my love for you. And then there's a part of me that wouldn't change a thing, because I know what it took to get to this moment, what my heart had to go through, and how I had to grow up to accept the kind of all-consuming love that comes with loving you, it makes being with you now that much sweeter because I could never take moments like these for granted after denying myself for so long."

Damon's grip had tightened slightly listening to her, Elena cupped his face firmly wanting nothing more than to erase whatever doubts remained of her in his mind with her next words. "I am not the same person I was when Stefan left us. When he was gone I was forced to reevaluate everything! And I saw that I had let his love be my security blanket, I loved him I did, he was my first love and I'll always hold a place for him but his love was what I needed for a time, a time in which I was so lost because of my parents death that I didn't know how to function and I let him give that back to m-"

"Elena!" Damon said stopping her. I don't exactly know where you're going with this but I'm spinning here!"

She smiled and shook him reassuringly. "I was just getting to the good part! You see he had this…. Crazy psychopathic older brother with no visible redeeming qualities" she said teasing.

Damon laughed then, a real laugh and flashed her his flirty smirk, catching her off guard for a minute before she continued. "This brother he made me so unbelievably angry, and at times I truly feared him… then over time he became a friend, a best friend and he trusted me enough to show me who he was behind the walls he put up to keep others out even though at times I hurt him and disappointed him in ways that I'll never forgive myself for, when all he was trying to do was look out for me. And without even knowing it right in the middle of it all I fell for him."

Both their faces were series now as they locked eyes, "Don't you see Damon? You're not just what I want you're what I need! You challenge me and surprise me, you make me question life. I don't know what the future holds but I know that for me it only holds you."

He kissed her then, their lips crashed together over and over until he had to let her pull back for air.

"You're what I need to" He said between breaths. "I couldn't ask for more"

Elena held him closer as she caught her breath. "I think the rain finally stopped"

"So it has"

**And that's the end! I'm actually very very pleased with it. Forgive me for my shitty updating, procrastination is one of my greater character flaws. But for my first fic I'm pretty pleased with it! Season 4 owns me at the moment so idk when I'll find time to get away from tumblr and write again but trust me I will lol please review! And I hope you enjoyed **


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